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> Eastern societies have different ways of dealing with things than Western, and that’s ok. This is basically my point. A lot of the policies the writer points

> Eastern societies have different ways of dealing with things than Western, and that’s ok. This is basically my point. A lot of the policies the writer points to arent transferrable to the west imo because they rely on eastern values that wouldnt fly here. In some ways the estern values are better, in some ways the western ones are, nothing wrong with that.

rpastuszak 2y ago
Learning from and translating these values/mentalities/ways of seeing things is an interesting and valuable problem nevertheless. (I know that these are complex and wicked problems, and using the word “translating” might sound like an oversimplification, but humans are incredibly adaptable)
Barrin92 2y ago
>because they rely on eastern values That's almost bordering on orientalism. The fact that everything you do has a social dimension, that the way you live impacts the people around you is a true fact, not an eastern value. It's simply that we in the West ignore this at our own peril because we ideologically pretend that every man and woman is an island. That what any individual does has no impact on their surroundings, and for that reason that society cannot impose on our "private decisions". You can actually map out obesity spreading within families and communities like a viral disease. That's why they have a 4% obesity rate spending almost nothing, why over here half the nations are obese despite spending hundreds of billions on individual livestyle fixes. They have a correct understanding of how societies work in this regard at least, we've given up on it. This is not about subjective cultural values.
WalterBright 2y ago
Some value systems are better than others.
- HDThoreaun 2y ago
  I feel very strongly that government sanctioned shame culture is very bad for society. I really dont think you can say that is objectively wrong, even if it comes with downsides.
- makeitdouble 2y ago
  It doesn't stop at obesity though. The prevailing mindset of "hammer any nail that's coming up" also applies to mental conditions, ideas and behaviors going against the status quo, including radical innovations and diversity in general.

rpastuszak 2y ago

Learning from and translating these values/mentalities/ways of seeing things is an interesting and valuable problem nevertheless. (I know that these are complex and wicked problems, and using the word “translating” might sound like an oversimplification, but humans are incredibly adaptable)

Barrin92 2y ago

>because they rely on eastern values That's almost bordering on orientalism. The fact that everything you do has a social dimension, that the way you live impacts the people around you is a true fact, not an eastern value. It's simply that we in the West ignore this at our own peril because we ideologically pretend that every man and woman is an island. That what any individual does has no impact on their surroundings, and for that reason that society cannot impose on our "private decisions". You can actually map out obesity spreading within families and communities like a viral disease. That's why they have a 4% obesity rate spending almost nothing, why over here half the nations are obese despite spending hundreds of billions on individual livestyle fixes. They have a correct understanding of how societies work in this regard at least, we've given up on it. This is not about subjective cultural values.

WalterBright 2y ago

Some value systems are better than others.

HDThoreaun 2y ago
I feel very strongly that government sanctioned shame culture is very bad for society. I really dont think you can say that is objectively wrong, even if it comes with downsides.
makeitdouble 2y ago
It doesn't stop at obesity though. The prevailing mindset of "hammer any nail that's coming up" also applies to mental conditions, ideas and behaviors going against the status quo, including radical innovations and diversity in general.